Paradip: Over 20 dolphins were sighted at Mahanadi river mouth near the Nehru Bungalow here over the last four days.
These mammals can be seen playing at the river mouth between 2 pm and 4 pm. This has led to an increase in tourist flow to the port town, a report said.
The 10-15 ft long dolphins belong to Irawadi, Humpack and Bottlenose species, Saswat Pati, a member of the dolphin census team said.
Fishermen construed the arrival of the dolphins as a good omen as the mammals help in driving the fish in the deep sea to the banks. As a result, fishermen find it easy to catch fish near the river mouth. While in previous years their numbers were less, this year their count has increased, Pati said.
Observers attributed the arrival of dolphins in more numbers to the halt in the movement of fishing trawlers and boats in the river mouth due to a ban on fishing imposed since April 15 in view of the fish breeding season. The lonely surroundings have attracted the dolphins to the river mouth, they claimed.
Senior fishermen claimed that dolphins were seen in more numbers before Super Cyclone-1999 but their number has dwindled in recent years due to increase in industrial activities and pollution. PNN